WO 2008/043611 A1 discloses a filter device, in particular for filtration of combustion air of internal combustion engines, in which a hose-shaped filter element is arranged in a filter housing. The wall of the filter element separates the raw side (unfiltered side) and the clean side (filtered side) of the filter device in the radial direction. The hose-shaped filter element is secured on a support member. The support member is insertable between a raw fluid (unfiltered fluid) pipe and a clean fluid (filtered fluid) pipe that are assembled to a continuous flow pipe. Adjacent to the axial end faces of the support member, the wall of the support member is provided with several locking recesses that are distributed about the circumference. The locking recesses serve for anchoring the support member between the fluid pipes in a fixed but releasable way. On the outer wall of the fluid pipes several locking noses are formed for this purpose and engage lockingly in the corresponding locking recesses of the support member so that the fluid pipes and the support member are locked on one another in the axial direction.
The filtration of combustion air is very important with respect to proper functioning of an internal combustion engine as well as auxiliary devices of the internal combustion engine, for example, a compressor. Leakage flows that bypass the filter element must therefore be prevented. This requires, on the one hand, a safe and fixed seat of the filter element in the flow path of the combustion air and, on the other hand, the filter element must be exchangeable in a simple way for regular servicing. Moreover, faulty assembly and/or installation of an unsuitable filter element must be precluded in order to prevent damage of the filter device during assembly or damage to another device to which the fluid is supplied that possibly has been filtered unsatisfactorily.
There remains a need in the art for a filter device including simple constructive measures that safely prevent leakage flow bypassing the filter element and, at the same time, enables easy exchangeability of the filter element while preventing incorrect or faulty assembly or even the installation of a wrong or incompatible filter element.